looking back at 2013 in Mirror area sports

January 1, 2014

n Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett decides the state will sue the NCAA over its penalties against the Penn State football team because of the Jerry Sandusky scandal from 2012.

n After many reports that NFL teams were interested in talking to him, PSU football coach Bill O'Brien announces that he will stay at Penn State.

n Penn State football defensive coordinator Ted Roof resigns to take the same position with Georgia Tech, his alma mater, a day after head coach Bill O'Brien says he is staying at Penn State.

n Bellwood-Antis boys basketball player Noah Davis, a senior and the team's top scorer, appears to be done for the season because of a knee injury. Davis, however, did come back for the Blue Devils' final three games.

n Don Appleman gets his 400th win as a high school basketball coach when Williamsburg girls beat Belleville Mennonite.

n Sue Paterno goes on Katie Couric Show to discuss a report published by investigators her family hired to clear husband Joe Paterno's name.

n Hollidaysburg girls win Class AAAA basketball title.

n For the second year in a row, the Altoona gymnastics team finishes 8-0 and captures the Central Pa. Gymnastics League title.

n Penn State, at 0-14 in the Big Ten, knocks off No. 4 Michigan in men's college basketball.

MARCH

n Bishop Guilfoyle girls and boys basketball teams win D6 titles on same night at St. Francis. The boys beat Bishop Carroll. The girls beat Portage. Girls coach Mark Moschella gets his 500th win on the same night. Everett girls also win D5 title on same night in a win over Tussey Mountain.

n After two rounds of the PIAA state basketball playoffs, the only two area teams still alive are the BG girls and the Bishop Carroll boys. However, BC loses to Lincoln Park in the quarterfinals, while BG loses to Vincentian in the semifinals.

April

n BG's Halee Adams and Penn Cambria's A.J. Leahey make first-team all-state in high school basketball.

n The Blair County girls beat Central PA at the eighth annual Mirror Classic, while the Central PA boys team beats Blair County.

n Claysburg-Kimmel hires Gabe Walter as its new football coach.

n Hollidaysburg hires Homer DeLattre as its new football coach and AD.

May

n State College defeats Altoona in the District 6 boys team tennis championships. Bedford falls to Windber in the District 5 boys team tennis finals.

n Hollidaysburg duo of Amir Alkhafaji and Eric Miller lose in the District 6 doubles team finale to State College.

n Bedford's James Jeffries and Jack Bittner won the District 5 doubles title. In the first round of states, however, they fall to a team from Brandywine Heights.

n -Jeremy Ebersole is hired as the new girls basketball coach at Williamsburg, replacing the retired Don Appleman.

n BG beats Northern Cambria in the D6-AA boys volleyball championship, while Altoona falls to State College in the Class AAA final.

n Northern Bedford's Blake Over and Tayler Pressel finish third and fourth in the triple jump at the PIAA state finals. Pressel won a gold medal in the high jump while Altoona's DeShae Lee won a bronze in the high jump. Tyrone's Erika Voyzey medaled in the high jump, while Northern Cambria's Gus Yahner medaled in the pole vault.

n Hollidaysburg, Claysburg-Kimmel and Philipsburg-Osceola all won District 6 softball titles. Chestnut Ridge beat Everett for the District 5 title. Hollidaysburg and Chestnut Ridge lose in the first round of states, while C-K and P-O both win their interdistrict openers.

n Bedford baseball defeats Everett for the District 5 title, but loses to Mount Union in the first round of states.

n Hollidaysburg baseball loses, 1-0, in nine innings to Somerset, while Claysburg-Kimmel lost to Bishop McCort in District 6 baseball championship action.

JUNE

n Altoona football coach John Franco tells the AAHS Athletic Council that the Mountain Lion football team needs to get out of the WPIAL.

n Claysburg-Kimmel's softball team loses in the second round of states while P-O wins and moves on to the semifinals, where it falls to Riverside to end its season.

JULY

n Former C-K girls basketball coach Jill Brumbaugh is hired as head coach at Quaker Valley, a WPIAL school.

n Martin Oil wins the Kelley Federation League title over Dick's Pharmacy.

n Bedford wins the Cambria Legion baseball title over Claysburg.

n Martin Oil goes off to the national tournament in Ohio and wins two games before getting eliminated.

n Johnston Realty won the local AAABA league and regional tournament titles before heading off to the national event in Johnstown.

n Cumming Motors won the Altoona Teener Minor League title while Postal Express won the Major League title.

n Sheetz beat Penn-Med in the Dean Patterson Little World Series.

n Former Hollidaysburg football coach John Barton is hired as an assistant coach at Altoona.

AUGUST

n Conrad Chiropractic/Lilly American Legion wins the City League title over ProActive Sports.

n Johnston Realty goes 0-2 at the national AAABA tournament in Johnstown.

n Penn State opens Bill O'Brien's second season as football coach with a win over Syracuse

SEPTEMBER

n Altoona Curve end year with a loss and finish in last place.

n Pittsburgh Pirates win their 81st game of the year and guarantee a non-losing season for the first time since 1992. They make it official on Monday, Sept. 9, when they beat the Rangers for their 82nd victory. The Pirates qualify for the playoffs during the last week of the season.

n For the first time in 23 years, the Williamsburg football team is 3-0 after its win over Glendale.

n For the first time since 2002, the Steelers are 0-2 after losing to the Bengals on Monday Night Football. They are 0-4 by the end of the month.

OCTOBER

n The Pirates, playing in their first postseason game since 1992, beat the Reds, 6-2, in the NL wild card game. They advance to the divisional series against the Cardinals where they lose in five games.

n Hollidaysburg's Marissa Lanzel and Central Cambria's Kourtney Cavalier win District 6 tennis singles titles in AAA and AA, respectively; Altoona's Lauren Lucas and Emilee Hollingsworth win D6-AAA doubles title. All competed at states where they lost in the first round.

n Bishop Carroll beats BG for the D6-A volleyball title. P-O beats Richland for the AA title. All three teams advance to states but P-O loses in first round, while BG and BC both win their first two games. However, BG and BC both lose in the semifinals to end their seasons.

n Bedford and P-O boys soccer team play in states. P-O loses in first round while Bedford wins its first 2 games, but lose in the third round to West Allegheny to end its season.

n The PSU women's basketball team loses to UConn at the Jordan Center.

n Central upsets defending champion and state semifinalist Richland for the District 6 Class AA football championship. Tussey Mountain knocks off top-seeded Berlin Brothersvalley for its first District 5 title since 1988. Chestnut Ridge tops Westinghouse and Bedford for the District 5 Class AA championship. In the District 6-A football title game, and 6-AA title game, BG loses to Homer-Center. Ridge falls to Karns City in the first round of states. Central and Tussey were eliminated from the PIAA tournament in the quarterfinals by Hickory in Class AA and Pittsburgh North Catholic in Class A, respectively.

DECEMBER

n Penn State football assistant coaches Charlie Fisher and Ron Vanderlinden resign to pursue other interests, although the prevailing opinion is that they are forced to leave.

n The PSU men's basketball team plays at Pitt and loses, 78-69.

n The PSU women's basketball team lose Notre Dame at the Jordan Center.

n Bishop Carroll football coach Greg Snyder steps down and is replaced by Joe Ridgeley.

n High school football coaching positions open up at Everett and Philipsburg-Osceola.

n Northern Bedford's Blake Over is announced as the Altoona Mirror high school football player of the year after passing for what is believed to be an area record 2,613 yards. Tussey Mountain's Josh Smith is voted coach of the year.